Special interview with Prof. B. Freund, our special medical consultant for surgical issues

Dear Prof. Freund – Please tell us about yourself and give us a short introduction to your long medical career?!

“…As an Israeli born during world war II to immigrant parents I witnessed the creation of the state of Israel and grew up with it through its formative years , graduating the Hebrew and the “Re’ali high school” in Haifa.

I served in the artillery corps of the IDF and ultimately achieving my MD degree from the Hebrew university where I spent almost forty years as teacher and educator of medical students and surgical residents…”

Who was your first mentor ?

“….I was lucky to train under Prof. Nathan Saltz who came from the USA in the early fifties and set up the school of surgery which graduated for many years most of the leading figures and chiefs of surgical departments in Israel. For this Prof. Saltz received the Israel prize for medicine and is recognized as the father of modern surgery in Israel.

Prof. Saltz influence was paramount in my training, education and aspiration to mentor a future generation of surgeons of excellence.

The superb training under Prof. Saltz made me a strong candidate to successfully compete for a clinical and research fellowship at the Massachusetts general hospital and Harvard medical school in Boston, USA. These two years in Boston and an additional year at the university of Cincinnati, both under Prof. J. Fischer, resulted in my becoming a world known authority on surgical metabolism and nutrition and clearly shaped my future academic career, culminating in my appointment to professor of surgery at the Hebrew university and chief of surgery at Hadassah. this combination of high academic achievements and clinical excellence enabled me to develop a prolific clinical and educational program with the scientific back up of basic research laboratories and programs. the department of surgery at Mount Scopus developed top notch programs in surgical oncology; breast surgery; colorectal surgery; advanced laparoscopic and thorascoscopic surgery ; obesity/bariatric surgery and endocrine surgery….”

With time I started to get more and more involved in the medical community affairs, in Israel getting deeply involved in the activity of Hadassah and medical school committee activities, Hadassah medical board Israel medical, association and the activities of the scientific council. today I am acting as the chairman of the board of medical specialties and vice chairman of the scientific council, this in addition to being chairman of the Israel board of examination for medical licensure.

Please describe for us one of the top points of your career so far ?!

“…I am very proud that many of our graduates became directors of medical units in other hospitals in Israel and carry the tradition of excellence in clinical-surgical practice, research, education and mentorship…”